Tech1M, an AI-powered recruitment automation and skill assessment software platform for businesses, has landed a $750,000 (£581,000) pre-seed investment to simplify hiring processes.
Founded by Tommie Edwards (CEO) and Damilola Ogunmoye (CTO), the Techstars-backed startup aims to reduce hiring costs, improve the quality of hires, and accelerate talent acquisition.
With AI serving as a “co-pilot” for its users, it claims to successfully merge all recruitment operators, from job boards to onboarding, talent networks, and recruiters, into a single platform to make hiring more seamless.
The funding was led by SFC Capital and Techstars, with participation from Tech Nation, Barclays Eagle Labs, HSBC Innovation Banking, ICE Network, Vantage, 1000 Black Voices, Foundervine, and GrowLondon Global.
This investment comes not long after a CIPD report revealed that 37% of UK employers have “hard to fill” vacancies, and 29% expect to experience significant hiring challenges throughout the year.
These challenges have forced 45% of SMB retailers to hire candidates with less skill, experience, or education than desired, as highlighted in a Capterra report.
Edwards said: “Using traditional recruitment platforms, I’ve always felt a lack of intentionality in the craft of software in helping you find great talent. With running my previous businesses over the years, hiring was a core part of my life. We’d spend hours sifting through applications and scheduling interviews, all while the best talent slipped through our fingers. It felt like the system was designed to slow us down, [and] not find the right people.
“That’s when I realised we needed a new approach to recruiting and set out to create a world where technology empowers recruiters, not replaces them. Now, with AI handling the heavy lifting, we can focus on what truly matters – the human side of hiring. It’s about getting back to why we got into this field in the first place: connecting great people with great opportunities and building amazing teams.”